Meeting of Central Asian Environmental Ministers in Aktau

On August 1–2, 2025, Central Asian environmental ministers met in the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan to prepare for the 2026 Regional Environmental Summit. The event was held with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC ICWC) as part of the project “Regional mechanisms for the low-carbon, climate-resilient transformation of the energy-water-land Nexus in Central Asia” under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The participants were welcomed by Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29 and Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Affairs via a video address. The official opening ceremony featured speeches by high officials of environmental agencies of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The event was also attended by representatives of international organizations, including the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan, UNECE, and UNDP.

The updated Concept of future summit was presented. The participants discussed this document, including key thematic areas and a concept of green technology exhibition. A draft Joint Declaration of the Heads of Central Asia States on ecology and sustainable development and a preliminary list of regional environmental initiatives to be launched during the summit were discussed as well.

Participants exchanged proposals, expressed their support for the updated Concept and agreed on the next steps. Particular attention was given to establishment of a regional platform for national hydrometeorological services, development of a green technology ecosystem, and launch of the Central Asian Bureau for Best Available Technologies (BAT).

The agenda also featured an exhibition of startups for sustainable development, dialogues with international partners, and a field visit to the Bozzhyra canyon

Support from the side of UNECE and SIC ICWC under the IKI project provided expert guidance for discussions on key areas of regional cooperation in environmental protection, climate action, and green technologies.